Unexpected
by souken
Summary: Life sometimes takes an unexpected turn. Soujirou fic.
1. Haunted by the Past

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Souken  
Rating: PG  
Author Notes: This is a story that I wrote quite awhile ago, but never finished. It's going to change a little bit from the original. Sorry to all those who had read this when it first came out and were expecting more. My muse just got up and left me. So, this time I'll try to update more often.   
Disclaimer: All characters are property of the great mind who created Rurouni Kenshin.  


Chapter 1 

  
Haunted by the Past 

Seta Soujirou stood on the edge of the street, staring blankly at the house before him. It was a place that he had never wanted to come back to, filled with memories of a childhood that he never wanted to remember. He was afraid of it, afraid of the emotions that it invoked in him. And the fact that it was raining did nothing to help the situation. All it did was remind him of the rain that fell that night, and how it had hidden his tears so well. He was so tempted to just leave, and forget what he came for. But he couldn't. What was hidden here was far too precious, too important for him to forget. 

Cautiously, he took a step onto the property and stopped, as if waiting for something to jump out at him. 

Nothing. 

Letting out the breath that he had unconsciously been holding, he slowly started walking. Soujirou kept his eyes off the house, looking straight ahead. He didn't want to remember. He didn't want to think about what had happened there. It was no use. As he walked passed the house, he began to feel heavy. Each step he took sounded thunderous to his ears. And as hard as he tried, he couldn't keep images from flashing in his mind. 

...a cold rainy night... 

...the glint of a sword... 

...blood...pools of blood... 

It was all coming back to him in full force. He could feel himself begin to panic. He could hear them, although faint at first. He could hear their screams, getting louder with each step he took. His breaths came out in broken gasps and he felt like he was suffocating. He began to run, the incredible speed he possessed not seeming fast enough. 

In only a few seconds he reached his destination, throwing open the doors of the shed and collapsing inside. Huddled on the ground he waited until his heart had returned to it's normal state and his breathing calmed. Taking a deep breath he stood and in the split second that he looked up, he could have swore that he saw Shishio-sama, lounging against the rice barrels. His heart stopped and when he blinked, the vision was gone. 

Once again calming his nerves, he walked over to the corner of the dark shed and cleared away all the barrels that sat there. Dropping to his knees, Soujirou felt for the small x that he had engraved into the wood years ago when he was a child. When his fingers finally found the mark, he took a rusty piece of metal and pried open the floorboard. He reached inside and drew out a small, wrapped package. Tucking the package into his gi, he put everything back in it's place. He was filled with a sense of relief. He had found what he was here for and now he could leave. Taking one last glance at what used to be his home, he ran out of the shed and away from the house. 

And this time, he would never come back. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Well, thanks for reading so far. Like I said, I'm going to try harder to get the chapters out faster, but bear with me. Sometimes I get huge bouts of writer's block. 

~Souken~ 


	2. Mother

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Souken  
Rating: PG  
Author Notes: Here is the second chapter. Hope you enjoy it!   
Disclaimer: All characters are property of the great mind who created Rurouni Kenshin. 

Chapter 2  
Mother 

Soujirou couldn't have fallen asleep even if he wanted to. The events of the day had left him restless and wide awake. He was also very anxious to see what was in the little package that was tucked securely in his gi. 

Stumbling around in the dark, he managed to find a some wood to make a small fire. Soujirou leaned against a nearby tree and pulled the package out of his gi. It wasn't very big, just the right size to fit in his outstretched hand. It was wrapped in aged brown paper and coarse string. Soujirou stared at it for quite some time, amazed. This small package had belonged to his mother. It was the only piece of her that he had left. 

With a trembling hand, he carefully untied the string and pulled away the paper, revealing a small, wooden box. It was a simple, but beautiful box. Tiny, intricate flowers were engraved on the sides, and on the lid was a name. 

Ikue. 

He had never known her name before. It was a simple name, but to him it was the most beautiful name he had ever heard. He lifted the lid from the box, handling it like it would break under the slightest pressure. Inside the box was a small hair comb, resting on folded pieces of paper. He studied the comb carefully. The top of the comb had the same design as the box, four little flowers bunched together. He ran his fingers over it lightly, imagining that he could feel her presence, the warmth and love that all mothers possessed. He wished that he knew what the comb looked like in her hair, but he couldn't even remember what she looked like. He knew very little about her. She had died when he was only two. His father had told him how beautiful she had been and how pure of heart she was. His father was the only person that had treated him with kindness in his childhood. He had died shortly after his mother, when Soujirou was only five years old. After that he went to live with his step-brother's family. He cringed as he thought of how his life was with them. Setting the comb carefully in his lap, he took out the pieces of paper. The first one was a letter. The handwriting was beautiful and elaborate. He positioned himself closer to the fire so he could read it.   


_ -Soujirou-  
I am writing this letter to you because I don't think that I will be around for much longer. My health gets worse every day and soon I will have to leave you. I want you to know who you are and where you came from. I will start by telling you who I am. My name is Tomioka Ikue. I was born in Yokohama, to one of the wealthiest families in the area. Your father is a swordsman from Tokyo. I met him when he came here to visit family. We fell in love rather quickly. During the time that we were together, I became pregnant with you. When I was ready to tell him, he told me that he had to leave, to take over his father's dojo in Tokyo. I became upset and left without telling him about you. When my family found out that I was with child, they disowned me. I was left to fend for myself, working at an inn for food and shelter. When you were born, it was the happiest moment of my life. You were such a beautiful baby. I would spend hours just playing with you and telling you stories. You were all I needed in the world. But soon I became ill. Doctors didn't know what was wrong with me. I became frantic. Fearing for the worst, I took you to Tokyo to find your father. When I arrived, I found out that his family had arranged a marriage for him, and his wife was with child. He offered us a place to stay, but I didn't want to disturb his family, so I left and took you back to Yokohama. I was so desperate. We had no where to go, and my health was getting worse everyday. Fate was kind enough to bring us a friend, a kind old man. Seta-san did everything he could to help us. He bought us food and provided us with shelter, even though his family disapproved greatly. He has even agreed to take you when I'm gone. Even though I am grateful for him, it upsets me greatly to know that I will not get to be with you. I wish that I could watch you grow into the handsome man that I know you'll be. With this note, I have also left with you a box and a hair comb. This gift was given to me by my mother when I was eighteen. It is the only treasure that I own. I want you to have it now. I've also given you the name and location of your father. I want you to find him someday. I want you to find your real family. I'm sorry that I have to leave you like this. I don't regret my life, because you were part of it. But I do regret that I couldn't give you a better life. You are everything to me. I love you. _

Tomioka Ikue 

Soujirou let out a shaky sigh, reaching up to wipe the tears that he just now realized he had been crying. Now he knew. He knew what his mother had to go through. How she tried so hard to give him a good life. The hardships she had to face. It made him feel guilty to know that after all she went through for him, he lived a life of killing and harming innocent people. He just sat there and cried for awhile for loss of his mother, for the loss of his childhood. He had never fully realized how much he needed his mother, until now. When he was with Shishio-san, he had never allowed himself to look back, only forward. He had never thought of his mother. After he left the headquarters in Kyoto, he had remembered the package. His "father" had given it to him when he died and Soujirou hid it, it was one thing that he wouldn't let his new family take away from him. 

Soujirou folded the letter and set it back in the box. It was time, he wanted to know. He wanted a real family. 

With a trembling hand he picked up the other piece of paper. He closed his eyes and slowly unfolded the next letter. His heart began to beat faster and he held his breath. Opening his eyes, Soujirou stared at the name, fully taking it in. This was his only living family. His real father. He quietly whispered to himself.  


"Kamiya Kojirou." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` 

So, what do you think? Good? Bad? Let me know. I'm planning on updating every 4 days, so look for the next chapter around the 10th. 

~Souken~ 


	3. Meetings

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Souken  
Rating: PG  
Author Notes: Here is the third chapter. It's completely different from the original, and I don't quite know what to think of it. Let me know if you like it.   
Disclaimer: All characters are property of the great mind who created Rurouni Kenshin.   


Chapter 3  
Meetings 

"I don't have to listen to you! You're not my mother!" 

"No, I'm not! But I am in charge of you. May I remind you that you are living in my home and eating all my food!" 

"Argh! I hate you, ugly!" 

"Get back here, Yahiko! Yahiko!" 

Kaoru threw down her broom and raced after the enraged teen. Unfortunately, he was faster than her and it didn't help that her kimono was restricting her movement. Yahiko burst through the gates before she made it halfway through the yard. She stopped at the gates and yelled after him. "That's it, don't come back you stupid brat! I've had enough of your ungratefulness. I hope you..." 

It was right then that she noticed the presence of another person. She lowered her head to hide the dark blush that had covered her face. She was completely mortified that she was caught displaying such horrible behavior. She looked up, praying that it was either Kenshin or Sanosuke. 

She mentally groaned. It was neither Kenshin, nor Sano, but a young man, sporting a completely bewildered look on his face. He looked to be not much older than her, dressed in tattered blue clothing, his dark hair just reaching the bottom of his chin. 

The first thought that ran through her head was that he reminded her of someone. 

Taking a deep breath and swallowing her embarrassment, she greeted him. "Hello." 

The young man's eyes widened and he took a step back, wary of the girl who not more than a minute ago had been livid and screaming curses. "This is the Kamiya dojo, correct?" He asked timidly. 

"Yes!" Could it be a new student? It had been so long since Kaoru had a new student. A huge smile covered her face. "Are you interested in taking lessons here?" 

"Umm...no....actually, I was wondering if I could speak with Kamiya Kojirou?" 

The smile left Kaoru's face, and was replaced with a look of confusion. "Kamiya Kojirou has been deceased for many years." She informed him in a low voice. He looked away from her, but she noticed the disappointment that spread across his face. Something clicked in Kaoru's mind at that moment. 'Could it be?' She gasped at the thought. She tried to tell herself that it might not even be him, but she could feel her heart begin to beat heavily in her chest. 

"Oh, I'm very sorry for bothering you." He said quietly, "Thank you for your help." And with that he turned to leave. Kaoru watched him for a few seconds before calling out to him. "Wait, please come back." It just had to be him. He seemed to be the right age, and it would explain why he looked so familiar. "Why are you looking for him?" 

"I was told that I was related to Kamiya-san and I was hoping to meet him." He replied in a quiet voice. 

Kaoru's stomach gave a great lurch and she fought to keep her face passive. "How are you related to Kamiya-san?" 

He took a nervous breath, and uneasily looked into her eyes. "Kamiya-san was my father." 

Right then a brilliant smile covered Kaoru's face. The young man's eyes widened in surprise. "My name is Kamiya Kaoru, the daughter of Kamiya Kojirou." She said happily. "I'm happy to finally get to meet you, Soujirou." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

To say Soujirou was stunned would the an understatement. What has just happened was certainly the last thing he had expected. Not only had Kamiya Kaoru welcomed him happily into her home, she had also known who he was. It was as if she had been expecting to meet him. 

They entered the house and she motioned for him to sit at the table. "Would you like some tea?" She asked excitedly. "Yes, please." He answered politely. She hurried through one of the doors and Soujirou sat himself down at the table. He was at a complete loss of what to think, so he occupied himself by examining his surroundings. 

The house was clean and well kept. It had an aged feel to it and he assumed that it had housed many generations. He could smell the lingering scent of incense, meaning that there was most likely a shrine in one of the nearby rooms. It had such a warm atmosphere to it, much unlike the places he had lived in during his life. He tried to imagine what his childhood would have been like if he had grown up in these walls, surrounded by a loving family. It pained him to know, that had his life been a little different, that is what he could have had. 

A few minutes later the she returned, not only with tea, but also a dusty old book. She placed everything on the table and proceeded to prepare the tea. He watched her quietly, a million questions running through his mind that he wanted answers to. It soon became too much so he broke the silence. 

"How did you know who I was?" 

She looked at him for a few seconds, examining him in barely concealed joy. "I want to show you something." She said. She picked the book up off the table and began flipping through the pages. She searched for a few minutes before she came to the page that held what she was looking for. Then she set the book in front of Soujirou. He looked up at her in confusion. "It's his journal." She explained. "Read it." He felt a bit odd reading something so private, but he complied. 

~~~~~ 

_March 16, 1862 _

I have made such a mistake. Ikue came to me today, begging for help. She has given birth to a child and she tells me that I am the father. 

His name is Soujirou. 

I want to deny it. I have a family now, and something like this could ruin everything. But I know, without a doubt, that this child is mine. I knew the minute I looked into his eyes. I felt bound to him in that instant. 

I asked Ikue why she was so desperate for help, but she won't tell me. I fear that she is ill. She talks as though her time is limited. She doesn't know about my wife yet, but I agreed to let her stay. I don't know how to tell her. Our relationship was left so unresolved. 

I told Eri that she was just a friend of the family, looking for a place to stay. I fear her reaction to the truth. Especially with our marriage being so new and her with child. But I can't turn my back on Ikue. Not after what I have put her through. And I can't turn my back on this child. He is my responsibility now. 

~~~~~ 

Soujirou looked up at Kaoru and she motioned for him to continue reading. 

~~~~~ 

_March 21, 1862 _

They are gone. 

Ikue took Soujirou and left last night. I searched the city early this morning, but I could not find them. All she left was a note. She wrote that she was grateful for my kindness, but that she didn't want to become a burden for me and my new family. 

So she found out. I wish I would have told her in the beginning, and assured her that it would all be okay. But it's too late now, and I may never see them again. She left no indication of where she was going, and I can't just leave my family to search for them. 

Does that make me a horrible person for giving up so easily? 

I feel like I have failed Soujirou. I had only been with him for a few days, but I became so attached to him. It is amazing that I could feel so much love for a child that I have only just recently learned was mine. 

Someday, I will find him, but for now I can only hope that he lives a happy life. I pray that he can forgive me when the time comes. 

~~~~~ 

Soujirou sat there for a few minutes, absorbing everything that he had just read. He felt a lump form in his throat and chest ached. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "So, this is how you found out?" 

"Actually, I knew way before I had even read that. My father had told me when I was little." 

"He told you?" Soujirou thought it odd that a man would tell his children about his past mistakes, especially ones that resulted in bastard children. 

"Do you mind if I tell you a little story." Kaoru asked quietly. Soujirou shook his head and she continued. "When I was little, after my mother died, I was so lonely." She explained. "I used to beg and beg my father for a brother or sister to play with. He always laughed at this, though I could tell that he wasn't happy. Then he would tell me that I had a brother, but just needed to find him. I became so excited that I would wake up every morning and check the house to see if he was there. And whenever father would leave town, he would promise me that he would bring my brother back with him. But every time he would return home, without my brother, and I would get so angry with him. Eventually, father became too sick to travel. So one night, he pulled me aside and told me the whole story. I think I was fourteen at the time. He told me that he would be so broken-hearted every time he returned home without you. He wanted to find you so badly. He wanted to make up for all the mistakes he made, and everything he put you and your mother through. He wanted us all to be a family." 

Soujirou heart ached at hearing all of this, and when he look up at her, he could see the tears in her eyes. He could feel his own eyes stinging as well. Kaoru wiped at her eyes and gave him a warm smile. "He would be so happy to know that you finally came." 

"I'm happy that you finally came." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Well, there it is. What do you think? 

~Souken~ 


	4. Welcome to the Family

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Souken  
Rating: PG  
Author Notes: Here is the fourth chapter. Let me know what you think.   
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.   


Chapter 4  
Welcome to the Family

Sanosuke was hungry, and the usually meant one thing. 

It was time to take a trip to the dojo. 

But when he entered the house, he was wholly unprepared for the sight that greeted him. 

Sitting at the table was Kaoru, sipping tea with none other than Tenken no Soujirou. 

Kaoru turned to greet him. "Hello Sano, here to eat all my food?" 

Sano ignored Kaoru's insult and stared directly at Soujirou. He seemed to be sizing him up, checking for any potential danger. "What the hell are you doing here." He said gruffly, casting Soujirou a wary glare. Soujirou's eyes widened in recognition. 

A dark look covered Kaoru's face. "Sano! Don't be rude!" 

Sano sat down next to her, shoving a riceball in his mouth before continuing. "You know who this is right? That's Tenken no Soujirou, the boy Kenshin fought in Kyoto." 

"Oh, well I kind of figured that." She replied casually. Soujirou turned to her in surprise. She knew who he was? And did he just hear right? Himura Kenshin? "You know Himura-san?" 

"Oh yes! He lives here." Soujirou mentally smacked himself. Of course he lived there! Shishio-san had told him where the Battousai had been staying when he had become a target. He completely forgot and didn't make the connection. 

"Soujirou, this is Sagara Sanosuke." Kaoru said, gesturing towards the tall man. 

"Oh, he knows who I am." Sano said, leaning across the table until he was only a foot from Soujirou's face. Soujirou kept his expression blank. 

"I don't know why you're here," Sano growled, "and I don't trust you any farther than I can throw you. But I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, because that's what Kenshin would do." Soujirou nodded in understanding, but said nothing. 

Kaoru's jaw hung open in shock. Normally Sano would attack first, ask questions later. For once, he was actually using his brains instead of his fists. This was going far better than she expected. 

"I'm home." 

"Kenshin!" Kaoru jumped up from the table. 

"Here are the vegetables for dinner, Miss Kaoru." Kenshin replied, walking through the doorway. He turned to greet Sano but halted abruptly when he caught sight of their guest. "Soujirou!" 

"Hello Himura-san." Soujirou said, a bit nervously. "It's been awhile." 

"Yes, it has." He replied, "What brings you here?" 

Kaoru giggled excitedly. "Kenshin, you will not believe it." 

He turned to her, smiling at her enthusiasm. "Believe what?" 

"It's him." 

"Soujirou? Yes, I know." Kenshin replied, a bit confused as to why she would be so excited about their guest when she had never seen him before. 

Kaoru groaned in frustration. "No Kenshin, it's HIM. Remember what I showed you in father's journal?" She nodded suggestively. Kenshin stared at her for a minute before it occurred to him what she was implying. His surprised gaze turned to Soujirou. 

"Oro!" 

Soujirou looked helplessly from Kenshin's look of utter surprise to Kaoru's excited smile, and became a bit uncomfortable at being the center of attention. Sano, on the other hand, was feeling very put out at not being in on the secret. 

"What the hell are you people going on about!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"So let me get this straight." Sano sighed, pressing his palm against his forehead as if warding off an oncoming headache. "The Tenken is your brother?" 

"Yes. And will you please stop calling him that!" 

"Fine! So could you please explain to me how the hell that's possible?" 

"Well," Kaoru began, "he would actually only be my half-brother. My father was in a relationship with his mother, before he married my mother." 

"Ohh, your father was quite the ladies' man." Sano laughed, and was promptly beat on the head with Kaoru's fist. 

Kenshin moved to divert attention from the two. "How long have you known, Soujirou?" he asked. 

"Only just recently." He replied quietly. "I found out in a letter that my mother wrote before she died." 

"If you don't mind me asking, when did your mother die?" Kaoru asked hesitantly. 

"She died when I was two years old." 

"Oh. I'm sorry." A pained look had crossed her face. She knew what it was like to lose one's parents. 

"It's alright." He replied. Nobody said anything else for awhile afterward. They all were taking time to absorb everything that had gone on. 

"It's getting pretty late." Kenshin observed, breaking the silence. 

Soujirou looked up, surprised. He hadn't even noticed the room getting darker. 

"Do you have a place to stay?" Kaoru asked eagerly. 

"There are some woods not far from here. I was going to camp out there." He replied. 

"Are you kidding! Absolutely not! You're going to stay here." She stated with a bright smile. 

"I can't poss...." 

"Nope." She interrupted him. "I won't take no for an answer!" 

"It's best to just do as she says." Kenshin grinned at him. "She won't back down." 

"See! Come on, I'll show you where you can stay." And with that she walked out the door, leaving no room for argument. Soujirou stood up and followed her. She stopped at a cupboard to grab an extra futon and a blanket. 

"Here, I'll carry that." Soujirou said as he took the load from her. 

"Thanks. It's a good thing that we have an extra room here. God forbid you'd have to room with Yahiko!" 

Soujirou glanced at her in confusion. "Yahiko?" 

"You know the brat the ran out earlier? That's Yahiko. He lives here too." Kaoru said, clearly exasperated at the mention of him. "You'll get to meet him tomorrow. He's probably hiding out at the Akebeko, so he won't be back until late." Kaoru stopped to slide open the door of one of the rooms. "Sorry it's so messy in here, it hasn't been used for awhile." 

"It's no problem at all. Thank you very much for letting me stay. I feel like I'm intruding." He said apologetically. 

"Of course not!" She scoffed. "You're family. You have every right to stay here!" 

Family. That sounded so odd to him. He had never been considered part of anybody's family. 

"Well, I'm going to go talk to Kenshin about making a quick dinner, seeing as none of us have eaten yet. When you're done here, then come back to the dining room." 

"Kaoru-san?" She stopped and turned to face him. "Thank you once again." Soujirou said sincerely. 

"You're more than welcome." She smiled kindly. "And it's just Kaoru. There's no need to use formalities." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

As Soujirou lie down to sleep that night, he couldn't help the small smile the spread across his lips or the warmth that settled in the pit of his stomach. 

It felt nice to be welcomed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

So, how was it? Am I getting the characters right? Comments and suggestions are welcomed and greatly appreciated! 

~Souken~ 


	5. Somewhere I Can Belong

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Souken  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: All characters are property of the great mind who created Rurouni Kenshin. 

Chapter 5  
Somewhere I Can Belong 

Soujirou woke the next morning feeling more refreshed than he had felt in a very long time. He remembered what Kaoru had said to him last night. 

_'You're family.'_

That would still take some getting used to. A family. It was what he had wanted for so long. A place where he could belong and feel loved. He didn't know if he could even consider the Juppongatana as a family. The only person who had been somewhat kind to him was Yumi-san, but even she was distant and sometimes cruel. All the rest of them hated him for being Shishio-san's right hand and Shishio-san had felt that treating him with any sort of kindness or care would make him weak. For as long as he could remember, he had been so lonely. He never had any real friends, anyone who actually cared for him. So it had come as a surprise to him that Kaoru had accepted him so quickly. This all was entirely too good to be true. 

He could hear the faint sounds of talking and laughing coming from the main room. Laughing. He decided instantly that he liked that sound. There were not many times in Soujirou's life that he had heard it. The people that he had been surrounded by were never really happy, at least not for good reasons. Soujirou got up and prepared himself for the new day. After he was dressed, he walked out into the main room to join the rest of the group. Kaoru gave him a welcoming smile. 

"Good morning Soujirou." She greeted, "You're just in time for breakfast." She motioned him to the table. Soujirou stood there, staring at the scene before him. Everyone was seated around the table, with one seat empty. They were inviting him to join them, to share their meal with him. This one simple gesture amazed him so much. He almost laughed at himself. 

"Soujirou?" 

Soujirou snapped out of his daze to see Kaoru looking at him in concern. "Are you okay?" 

He nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed. He took his seat next to Kaoru. Across from him sat Kenshin and Sano, at the other side of him sat a younger boy and an older woman at the other side of Kaoru. Kenshin noticed his questioning gaze. "Soujirou, I'd like you to meet the rest of our little family." He pointed to the young boy, "This is Yahiko. He lives here at the dojo." Then he motioned to the women, "This is Megumi, she works as a doctor down at the clinic. Megumi, Yahiko, this is Seta Soujirou." 

"Welcome Soujirou." Greeted Megumi, "It's nice meeting you." 

"Hello," Yahiko said, mouth full of food. "So you're Kaoru's brother. How's that possible? You're not nearly as ugly looking as her." 

"YA-HI-KO-CHAN!" Kaoru seethed, her voice dropping to an angry growl. Her hand heading dangerously to the nearest rice bowl. Kenshin grabbed the bowl just in time and placing a hand on her arm. "Yahiko, please don't be so rude in front of our guest." He asked gently. "Sorry Kenshin." Yahiko mumbled, then sticking his tongue out at Kaoru when Kenshin turned his head. 

"Soujirou, did you sleep well last night?" Kenshin inquired. 

"Yes, I haven't slept that well in a long time. Thank you so much for letting me stay here." 

"No need to thank us." Replied Kaoru, "We're just happy that you agreed to stay." 

Happy that HE stayed. He couldn't understand why they were so happy that he was here. He was nobody. He was a bastard child. He was a murderer. And they funny thing was that these people knew exactly who he was, and they still accepted him. It confused him to no end, but at the same time he felt so cared for. 

Kaoru handed him a bowl of rice and a plate of vegetables and fish. When she turned her back, Yahiko leaned in to whisper to Soujirou. 

"Just to warn you, Kaoru insisted on cooking this morning. So if it tastes like bird droppings...." Yahiko was abruptly cut off when a soup spoon nailed him right between the eyes. 

********************************* 

It was about midday. Megumi had gone back to the clinic and Sano had left for home to do some 'work', which Kaoru said meant that he was going to sleep some more. The rest of the group was seated out on the front porch, enjoying the wonderful weather. No one spoke, each too caught up in their own thoughts. 

Kaoru was going over the happening of the past two days. She had a brother. The concept still seemed a bit surreal to her. She already found herself feeling a sisterly affection for Soujirou, even though she had just met him. He was extremely polite and very quiet. He had an innocent and almost childlike appearance, even though he must have been around 20 years old. At the same time he looked travel worn. His hair was shaggy and unkempt and his clothing looked worse for the wear. He was very thin, but he didn't look starved. 

She noticed that he had an odd way of showing his emotions. She had never seen him smile, but she had seen happiness and contentment shining clearly in his eyes. It seemed to her that he just didn't want to smile. She wondered what he had gone through in his life to make him the way he was. 

Kaoru heard a small sigh beside her and she looked over. The trimming on the sleeve of Soujirou's kimono had come undone and now he was working to take the whole thing off. She looked closely at his clothing. There were small holes in various places, stitches placed clumsily over the bigger tears. One or two buttons were missing from his western shirt. It didn't look like his clothing could be salvaged for much longer. She wondered just how long he had worn them. 

"Soujirou?" She asked, getting his attention. 

"Yes Kaoru." 

"Is that the only clothing you own?" 

He looked down at his sleeve and then quickly hid it behind his back. "Yes." He answered sheepishly. "I had another pair of hakama, but I lost them a few months ago." 

"How long have you been wearing that?" She continued. 

"Um. Two years I guess." 

Kaoru stood up and motioned for Soujirou to follow. "Come on then." Soujirou scrambled to his feet and followed her. 

Kaoru led him to her room and started looking through her drawers. Soujirou watched her uncomfortably, wondering what she was up to. After a few minutes she stood and handed him a stack of clothing. "Here, you can wear these." She smiled. "They belonged to father. I kept them to use as training clothes, but I guess I never really grew into them. They're yours now." Soujirou looked at her wide eyed. "Are you sure? I mean, they're your fath...." 

"Our father." She corrected him and then smiled at the thought. 'Our father.' "And yes, I am completely sure. Now go try them on. I'm pretty sure they'll fit you, but I want to be sure." She pushed him into his room and shut the door. After a few minutes he opened the door and she entered. She looked at him and smiled. "See, they fit you perfectly." She continued to stare at him for quite sometime. "Amazing." She whispered. Soujirou looked down at himself nervously, "What?" 

"You just looked so much like him." She answered, walking a circle around him. "Same hair, same eyes." 

"Really?" 

"Yeah. I wonder." Kaoru took his hand and led him back to her room. She pulled him over to her mirror and stared at their reflection. She laughed in amazement. "Look Soujirou, you could even see some similarities between us." She pointed out. Soujirou looked at the mirror in wonder. She was right, he was starting to notice the little similarities their faces held. "The shape of our noses." He pointed out. "Yes, you're right." She giggled. Of course, there were major differences in their appearances as well. They both had black hair, but while her's had a more bluish tint to it, his was just pitch black. Her eyes were much bluer than his. But still, those small similarities made all the difference in the world. 

They were so caught up in this new discovery that they didn't hear Kenshin enter the room. He smiled at the touching scene. 

"Did you find something?" 

Kaoru looked at him excitement. "Can you see it Kenshin?" He observed them both, head tilted to one side. He had never noticed it before. By just glancing at them, you couldn't tell they were related, but if you looked close enough the similarities became quite clear. He nodded his head and Kaoru's smile grew wider. Seeing the wonder and excitement in both their eyes brought warmth to his heart. 

Kaoru had found a real brother. 

And Soujirou had finally found a real family. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` 

Just in case I didn't make it clear in the story, this takes place about 2 years after the Kyoto Arc. And yes, I know that according to the Manga, Sano and Megumi shouldn't be there, but I decided to include them anyway. Sorry Watsuki-san. 

Comments and Suggestions are greatly appreciated! 

~Souken~ 


	6. Lost Smile

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Souken  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: All characters are property of the great mind who created Rurouni Kenshin. 

Chapter 6  
Lost Smile 

_"I've had enough of this kid. I'll kill him for this!"_

The strong live and the weak die. 

_"Just kill him brother!"_

The strong live and the weak die. 

_"Nobody will miss him, he's just a worthless brat."_

The strong live and the weak die. 

_"Somebody.....help me.....help.....please!! Shishio-san!!"_

The weak die......... 

"NO!" 

Soujirou flew out of his bed, drenched in sweat. That dream again. He had had that dream countless times since he left that horrible place, and yet every time he woke up completely terrified. It was always just as real as the night it happened. It seemed like forever before his heart resumed it's normal beating, and he fell back onto his futon feeling oddly exhausted for someone who had just woken up. He nearly jumped out of his bed when he heard a soft knock on the door. 

"Yes?" He cringed at the faltering of his voice. 

"Are you okay? I heard you yell." It was Kaoru. 

"Ummm...yeah, I'm fine. I just...um....tripped over the futon." 

"Are you sure? You don't sound fine." 

"Yes. The fall just knocked the wind out of me. I'll be fine." Soujirou called, praying that he sounded convincing. 

"Oh, alright then, just checking. Breakfast will be ready soon and there's fresh water in the bath if you want to clean up." 

"Okay. Thank you Kaoru." 

He watched her shadow through the paper walls as she walked away and he sighed in relief. He really didn't want to worry her. It seemed like she got worried far too easily, and the last thing he wanted was to cause any trouble. 

Soujirou sluggishly crawled out of bed and gathered some clean clothing. He went to the bath house and scrubbed the sweat from his skin, as if washing away the last of the dream. After he was done and dressed, he made his way to breakfast and took his seat next to Kaoru. This was the third breakfast he had shared with them, and it was starting to feel more and more routine. 

Throughout the meal he could feel a pair of eyes on him. He looked up to see Kenshin staring at him with a look of concern. After a few moments, he broke the gaze and went back to eating his breakfast. Kenshin was far too perceptive of other people's emotions. He knew something was wrong. Soujirou felt like an open book and Kenshin was reading all of his thoughts and fears. To say it made him uncomfortable was a huge understatement. The meal went by quietly, and soon everyone was done and the dishes were cleaned. Soujirou was heading towards the sanctuary of his room when Kenshin approached him. 'Please don't let him ask. Please don't let him ask.' Soujirou prayed silently. 

"Would you like to come with me to the market?" He asked. "I need to buy some food for dinner." 

'Thank you God.' "Sure." Soujirou answered with a nod of his head. 

"Alright, I just need to do the laundry first, and then we'll leave." And with that, Kenshin walked off. Soujirou felt nervous all the sudden. He had a bad feeling that Kenshin asked him for a reason. There was something on his mind that he wanted to discuss with Soujirou. 

********************************************* 

It was quite a pleasant day out and people were taking full advantage of it. The market was crowded and noisy. Men, women, and children filling the streets to full capacity. Soujirou had almost forgotten what it was like to be around so many people, and it overwhelmed him. He stuck close to Kenshin, who was walking through the crowds with perfect ease, a pleasant smile on his lips. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it after awhile." Kenshin assured him. The first stop they made was at the tofu stand. They were greeted by an elderly lady who seemed to know Kenshin very well, as the two began conversing. Soujirou stood there silently, waiting for Kenshin to buy the tofu, when he heard muffled giggles. He turned to see two young girls staring at him, blushing and whispering to one another. Soujirou gave them a polite nod and quickly turned his back to them, utterly confused as to what they were giggling about. 

"Do I have something on my face?" he whispered to Kenshin when he returned. 

"No, why?" 

"Those girls over there are staring at me and laughing. I was just wondering what they were laughing at." He answered naively. 

Kenshin looked over at the girls and gave a small chuckle. "You haven't been around girls much, have you Soujirou?" Kenshin asked. Soujirou gave him a helplessly confused look. "They find you attractive." Soujirou's eyes widened, giving Kenshin the impression of a frightened animal. "Come on, we better leave before they try to talk to you. I don't think you'd survive that." He laughed. Soujirou cast a wary backwards glance at the girls before rushing to follow Kenshin. 

The remainder of the shopping went on quite uneventfully, for the most part. Soujirou followed quietly as Kenshin moved from vendor to vendor. A half an hour later, they had bought everything on the list and begun to head home again. As they were walking, Soujirou noticed that they were taking a different route home, a longer route. He was about to ask Kenshin about it, but Kenshin spoke first. 

"May I ask you a question Soujirou?" he began. Soujirou nodded his head, so he continued. "Is something upsetting you?" 

"No, of course not. I'm actually quite happy. Why?" 

Kenshin stopped and turned to him. "Why don't you smile anymore?" 

Soujirou came to an abrupt halt, staring straight ahead of him. Why didn't he smile anymore? Soujirou took a few minutes to gather all of his thoughts before he answered. "I guess," he began slowly, "I just got tired of smiling." Kenshin nodded, waiting for him to continue. "After our fight ended, I stood there and thought, 'This is the beginning to my new life, what is the first thing I'm going to do?' And it just came to me, it was so simple. Just stop smiling. I didn't need it anymore, I didn't need to hide my emotions from anyone. So I took a deep breath, and just let the smile drop from my face. I instantly felt different. And it was like a huge weight had been lifted off of me." 

"That was over two years ago, and you still don't smile?" 

Soujirou sighed and turned to face Kenshin. "After you do something for so long, it begins to lose it's importance, it's true meaning. Smiling was like a tool for me, a disguise to hide my emotions and give me an advantage during fights. I misused it for far too long, and now it has no meaning." And with that, Soujirou continued walking. Kenshin stared at his retreating form for a minute before following. 

********************* 

When they arrived at the dojo, Soujirou could hear the faint yells and the sound of wood hitting wood. He approached cautiously, peeking his head into the room. Kaoru and Yahiko were sparring with wooden bokken, exchanging blows with skill and a sort of grace. Soujirou watched as they attacked and blocked, noticing how much it differed from the style he was taught. Tenken was based purely on speed and was meant to kill quickly and effortlessly. But this style, he observed, was not meant to kill. Attacks were aimed at parts of the body that would disable the opponent, without fatally wounding them. Kaoru called for them to stop and looked towards him instantly, like she knew he was there the whole time. 

"What fighting style was that?" He asked. 

"That was Kamiya Kassin Ryu. It's been passed down through the family. Father taught it when he was alive, and now I teach it, although my only student is Yahiko. It's based purely on self-defense and fighting without killing." 

'The sword that protects. The sword that doesn't kill.' Soujirou had thrown out his sword when he left Kyoto, determined not to kill anymore. He found sometimes that he had missed sword fighting, as it had been such a big part of his life for so long. The thought of picking up a sword again, without the intent to kill, intrigued him. 

"Kaoru, do you think you'd have room for another student?" 

Kaoru looked surprised for a moment. "You already know how to handle a sword Soujioru. You're one of the best swordsman in Japan. Why do you want me to teach you?" 

Soujirou shook his head. "I know how to kill with a sword. I want to learn how to protect with a sword." Realization spread on Kaoru's face and she felt an odd sense of pride well up in her. "Well then, I would love to teach you." She grabbed a bokken off the wall and handed it to him, and he took it with a grateful nod. "Okay, today we'll just start with the basics...." 

Kenshin watched as Kaoru instructed Soujirou, who was listening to her with rapt attention. He too was proud of Soujirou. What stood there now was a far cry from the emotionless boy assassin that he fought against years ago. Soujirou had completely turned his life around for the better, and that was not an easy thing to do. Kenshin knew this first-hand. At first he had feared for Soujirou, for all the new things he would have to deal with. But now, he was sure that Soujirou would do just fine. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. I really appreciate it! 

This is an invite to anyone who has created Soujirou fanfiction or fanart. I've found that there is no website dedicated to Soujirou related fanworks, so I have made one. If anyone would like to contribute, then please let me know. The website url is listed on my author page.

~Souken~ 


	7. Warmth

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Souken  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: All characters are property of the great mind who created Rurouni Kenshin. 

Chapter 7  
Warmth 

Days passed by and much to Soujirou's surprise, things were pretty normal. His life was falling into a simple, yet comfortable pattern. He'd wake in the morning to have breakfast with Kenshin, Yahiko, and Kaoru. After breakfast he would train with Kaoru and Yahiko. Around noon, he'd go off with Yahiko to work at the Akebeko. Tae had given him a small job washing dishes. Then it was back to the dojo for dinner. He would talk with Kaoru and Kenshin until night fell, and then he would go to bed. To most, this would seem boring and dull. But for Soujirou, he couldn't be happier. He was being normal. He was part of a normal family. He was in control of his own life now. He didn't have to kill anymore. He could train because he wanted to, not because he had to. Most of all, he lived with people who accepted him because they honestly cared about him. He had never imagined that he could lead such a fulfilling life. 

Today was going to be different though. Kaoru had woken Soujirou early, telling him that she had something special planned. 

First, she was taking him to meet an old friend of the family. They walked along the streets of Tokyo, enjoying the absence of the noisy crowds that would soon be present. Kaoru was doing most of the talking, telling Soujirou stories their various adventures. Soujirou had asked about the fight in Kyoto and was amazed at the story of how they beat some of the most powerful warriors in Japan. At the same time though he felt guilty, because he was partly responsible for the attack at the Aoiya. He told Kaoru this and she immediately laughed it off, saying that the past was the past, and that he shouldn't worry about it now. "Besides," she stated proudly, "we won that battle, and it only proves that there are things more powerful than brute strength." Soujirou couldn't help but agree with her logic. The Juppongatana might have been the strongest in Japan, but there was one thing that their opponents had that they didn't, and that was hope. It wasn't strong against weak, it was those who fought for power against those who fought because they had faith in their friends and hope that the future would be brighter. Soujirou only wished that it hadn't taken him so long to figure that out. 

After about 15 minutes of walking they came upon a small building, which Soujirou found to be a clinic as he read the sign near the door. Kaoru led Soujirou inside and to a room not far from the entrance. There sat an old man, who was tending to a small child. Soujirou watched as the man gently applied a bandage to the girl's wounded hand, talking soothingly to her as she sniffled, a few tears running down her face. The way the doctor talked to her and handled her so gently reminded Soujirou of his adopted father, the man who promised to take care of him when his mother died. Seta-san was a very kind man, which was surprising considering how the rest of his family behaved. He was Soujirou's only comfort in a world of strange and harsh people. So it had come as a crushing blow when he had died and left Soujirou all alone with those people. 

The doctor soon finished wrapping the girl's hand. The little child wiped the tears from her face and smiled brightly, thanking the doctor and bowing politely before running off. The doctor quickly cleaned up his supplies and greeted his guests. 

"Good morning Kaoru-chan. Who is this young man you have brought with you?" He said in a teasing manner, giving her a knowing wink. 

Kaoru gave a small chuckle, "It's not what you think, you old pervert. Soujirou, this is Doctor Gensai, he has treated our family since I was little. Gensai-san, I want you to meet Seta Soujirou, odd as it may sound, he's my...." 

"Oh, it's you!" The old doctor exclaimed, causing Soujirou to jump in surprise. "How long has it been? Around 20 years if I remember right." 

"What? You know already?" Kaoru asked, wide eyed. Soujirou just stared at the old man in confusion. 

"Of course! I first saw him when he was about a year old. His mother was very sick, so Kojirou sent her to me." Gensai stated proudly, "And I remember the young child she had with her. You were just so small, I was worried that you wouldn't grow to be very big." The old man reached out and lifted Soujirou's chin to look at his face. "Well, it looks like you certainly have grown nicely. I see you've gotten your looks from your mother." The smile fell from the old man's face. "I'm sorry about your mother. She was a very kind woman." 

"If you don't mind me asking," Soujirou asked quietly, "could you tell me what my mother was sick with?" 

"Well," the Doctor answered, pausing to bring up past memories, "unfortunately I really don't know what she had. Nobody knew. Whatever it was though, it seemed to be eating at her from the inside. She would eat normally, but she was just so thin. And she seemed so tired. Do you know when she died?" 

"I think I was about two year old at the time." 

"Ah," replied the Doctor, "It surprises me that she lasted that long. But then again, she did appear to be a strong woman." 

"Thank you for telling me." Soujirou was beginning to feel a bit uneasy talking about his mother, so he quickly changed the subject, asking him about his clinic. The Doctor was more than happy to talk about his life's work. 

Kaoru watched as the two conversed. She had noticed Soujirou's pained expression when Gensai spoke about his mother. It upset her to see him like that. She felt the immense urge to comfort him, to make his pain vanish. The need was so great because she knew what it was like to lose a parent. She too had a hole inside of her that could never be filled. She would never get her parents back. And although she had learned to live with this fact, it didn't keep it from hurting now and then. At least they had been there during her childhood. She didn't know the details of Soujirou's childhood, but she guessed from what Kenshin told her that he had not had a good one. 

They stayed at the clinic for an hour or two. Luckily Doctor Gensai didn't have a lot of patients that morning, so they spent their time talking and drinking tea. Gensai's grandchildren had shown up and demanded that Soujirou play with them. So they all moved out into the yard, where Soujirou and the children played games of chase. Kaoru and Gensai sat on the porch, laughing as Soujirou purposely fell to the ground so the girls could catch him. Finally, Kaoru declared that it was time for them to leave, inciting protests from the girls. After promising to come back and play with them another day, they were allowed to leave. 

"Well, you seemed to be having fun there." Kaoru teased. 

"You know, that's the first time that I have ever played with children." Soujirou replied. 

Kaoru's tone turned serious. "I'm sorry." She apologized. "You didn't have much of a childhood, did you?" 

"Not really." He confessed. No friends, no games, and no chances to really be a child. He was nothing but a slave and a scapegoat. 

"Someday, would you tell me about it?" She asked quietly. 

"Why?" Soujirou turned to her in confusion, wondering why anyone would want to know about his dark past. 

"Because I want to know you better." She stated, "You're my brother. I want to know all about you. Your past, your feelings. What you went through to make you who you are now." 

He stared at her for a minute, but found nothing but sincerity in her eyes. In that moment, Soujirou had never felt closer to anyone in his life. He never had anyone he could talk to or share his feelings with. No one to comfort him when he was sick or sad. And now here she was, wanting to know all about him. Offering her kindness and support. It was nothing short of amazing. 

"Yes, but only if you let me know more about you." 

"Deal!" She grabbed his hand and held it as they walked. Soujirou felt content and warm and cared for. And he realized that he would probably never find a better friend than her. God knows he didn't deserve it. 

"So, where are we going next?" Soujirou asked as they continued walking. 

"That is a secret. You'll just have to wait until we get there." She smiled and squeezed his hand, leading him across town. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I'm sorry that this chapter is so short. I kind of hit a roadblock with this story. I really don't know how it's going to end, so I'm pretty much going chapter by chapter. I'm going to try to get the next chapter out in a couple days to make up for this one. 

Thank you so much to everyone that has reviewed so far! It helps alot! 

~Souken~ 


	8. Father

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Souken  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: Does it look like I own RK? 

Chapter 8  
Father 

It was around noon when Kaoru and Soujirou made it back to the market streets of Tokyo, so they stopped at the Akebeko for a quick lunch of rice balls and tea. When their stomachs were satisfied, they left the restaurant and maneuvered their way through the crowds of shoppers to leave the market place. 

Once they reached the quieter streets, they fell into a relaxed pace. Once again, Kaoru did most of the talking. This time she told Soujirou about her childhood. She told stories of all the trouble she would cause when she was younger, and how her father decided to train her in Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu when she was ten, as an attempt to teach her discipline. Soujirou gave her his full attention, eager to learn more about her life. He remembered what she had said earlier, about wanting to learn more about him. He decided that he wanted that as well. This was something completely new and unfamiliar, and he realized that he liked it. He could feel a bond forming between them, the more time they spent together. It was a very nice feeling. 

She was completely opening herself to him, and he wanted to do the same for her. But he just couldn't bring himself to tell her. He wasn't ready to reveal his deepest and darkest secrets just yet. The true reason behind it being that he was scared. He was afraid of how she would react once she knew what he had been responsible for. That she would see him for the monster he once was. He just didn't want to risk it, after coming so close to having a real family. He knew that he was probably worrying for nothing. Kaoru was such an accepting person. She had welcomed two of the deadliest assassins into her home without question. But despite this, he couldn't help but worry. 

"We're here!" Kaoru exclaimed, startling Soujirou from his thoughts. He looked around to see that Kaoru had led them to a cemetery. Soujirou had never really been to a cemetery before, so what greeted him when they entered the gates was completely unexpected. Naturally, to him a cemetery equated to death. He expected a dreary place, old and dilapidated, where the stench of death filled the air. What he saw in front of him though, was quite the opposite. The place was green and beautiful. White grave markers sat in perfect rows, some adorned with bright flowers. The air smelt clean. Sakura trees were strewn here and there, raining their petals on and around the gravestones. Soujirou realized that this place wasn't meant to mourn death, but to celebrate life. 

He followed Kaoru as she headed towards the back of the plot and to the left, where under a sakura tree lay a grave marker like all the rest, though the name on this one Soujirou knew all to well. They were standing in front of the grave of Kamiya Koujirou. Kaoru knelt on the ground, motioning Soujirou to follow, and began pulling incense and flowers out of her bag. Soujirou watched quietly as she spoke. "Look who I brought to see you father." She whispered to the air. 

"I come here twice every year." She told Soujirou. "On his birthday and the anniversary of his death. But neither of those days will come for months, and I really wanted to bring you here to meet him." 

"Thank you for bringing me." Soujirou replied sincerely. 

"I'm happy that you're here with me. Usually I come here alone, so it's nice to share it with someone." She said. "I'm sure father is very happy you're here as well." 

Hesitantly, Soujirou reached out his hand and traced the characters that were carved on the stone with his fingers. He truly was happy that she had brought him there, but at the same time it hurt even more to see his father's grave. It seemed to taunt him, flaunting the fact that this was all he was ever going to have of his real father. No memories, just this cold white stone. He really knew nothing about him. 

"When did he die?" Soujirou whispered. 

"A little less than three years ago, in September of 1878." She answered. "At the time he was working as a member of the sword-bearing metropolitan police. Because of that, he was sent to the Southwest war" Kaoru kept her gaze on the gravestone, but Soujirou could see the tears forming in her eyes. "He hated the idea of killing, but he went anyway. It was something that he felt had to be done in order to bring about a peaceful new era. I was completely terrified and I begged him to stay. My mother died 6 years earlier, so he was the only family I had left. But he just smiled at me and promised to be back in time for the Obon* festival, so that we could go visit Mother's grave together. He never did come back though. He died three days before the war ended." 

"What...what was he like?" Soujirou asked, hoping he wasn't causing her too much pain by bringing up memories. 

Kaoru hastily wiped at her eyes, and turned to him with a smile. "He was the kindest person that I've ever known. I know I'm a bit biased in saying that, but I think that anyone who knew him would say the same. He was a great father, gentle and caring. He always put others before him and fought hard to protect those that he loved. I see a lot of him in Kenshin, and I guess that's what attracted me to him at first. He just reminded me so much of Father." She stopped, a small smile still on her face. They sat in silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts, but enjoying each other's company at the same time. Soujirou thought of Kaoru's description of their father. He wondered just who he would be today, if he had been raised by such a man. He didn't dwell on it long though, because what was done was done. There was no way to change the past. He decided that it was probably for the best. He survived this long, and he supposed that he was a stronger person for it. 

"It's getting pretty dark." Kaoru observed suddenly. "Maybe we should head home." Soujirou nodded in agreement and helped her to her feet. 

The minute they crossed the gates, Soujirou felt something odd. He tuned out everything, and focused on the air around him. One of the first things that Shishio ever taught him was the ability to sense ki. It was a tool to read an opponent's emotions and strength. He could feel Kaoru's familiar ki, calm and faint. He pushed that aside and concentrated a bit harder. He could feel it, just at the edge of his senses. A strong and agitated ki. What surprised him was that it was oddly familiar, but he couldn't place just how. 

Soujirou moved closer to Kaoru, keeping his eyes forward and his pace constant. 

"Kaoru." He said faintly. 

She looked to him in question. "Yes?" 

"I don't want to you to panic or anything. We're being followed." 

"What?" 

"Just keep walking and act normal." Soujirou replied, briefly looking in her direction. Kaoru nodded in understanding and kept walking. Soujirou turned his attention back to the ki and could feel it getting closer. Without a word, he fell back directly behind Kaoru, and continued walking. 

As they kept walking, their stalker kept getting closer and closer. Old instincts began to kick in, and Soujirou's body tensed as he waited for the perfect moment to attack. His sword hand unconsciously clenched at his side, and he wished that he had some kind of weapon. 

"Are you seriously planning on attacking me?" Came a feminine voice from behind him. 

Soujirou spun around, facing the person in shock. 

"Kamatari!?" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

* Obon is a festival to commemorate the deceased ancestors. It takes place in around July/August. 

Thanks to everyone who left reviews. I really appreciate it! 

~Souken~ 


	9. Nothing Stays Perfect

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Souken  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: Does it look like I own RK? 

Chapter 9  
Nothing Stays Perfect 

"Kamatari!?" 

Standing before them was none other than Honjou Kamatari. The bishonen boy looked almost exactly the same as he did back in Kyoto, dressed in an elaborate woman's kimono. The only difference being that his purple hair was longer now, held back of his neck with a pink ribbon. "Sou-chan! I'm so happy to be able to see you again." He shouted gleefully, attacking Soujirou with a hug. "You don't know how much I've missed you." Kamatari squeezed him tightly until Soujirou sputtered for air. 

"Kamatari, please let go! I need air!" He choked. Kamatari let him go and backed away a bit, studying his appearance. "Ah, you've gotten taller and you're starting to look a bit more like a man." He cooed, ruffling his hair affectionately. "Too bad you like girls, or I would take you home with me." Kaoru looked on with plain disgust and Soujirou just gave a sigh, as he was used to Kamatari's flirtatious behavior. "What are you doing here? I thought you were sent to America?" 

"I was finished over there, and I missed see you!" He cried, once again squeezing the life out of Soujirou. Kaoru decided that she had seen enough, so she stomped over to the two and roughly yanked Soujirou out of his embrace. "Cut it out idiot! Are you trying to kill him?" 

Kamatari stopped fawning over Soujirou and turned to greet Kaoru cheerfully. "And how are you Tanuki-onna? I see you haven't changed much." He reached out a hand to lift her chin, his smile turning into a smirk. "You're still a bit scrawny and boyish, but you're starting to look more like a girl." He said, pinching her cheek. 

Kaoru sputtered furiously and slapped his hand away. "Oh you're one to talk! Cross dressing freak!" 

Kamatari laughed girlishly. "Such an outspoken young woman! Sou-chan, how can you stand living with her?" 

"Well, I...." Soujirou glared at Kamatari suspiciously. "How do you know I've been living with her?" 

"Oh, I've been watching you for a couple days now. You all look like such a happy family!" He shook his finger at Kaoru in a scolding manner. "You should be more careful taking in all these ex-murders Kaoru-san, you might end up in big trouble someday. Not everyone is as innocent as they seem." 

"Yes, I agree with you completely." Kaoru replied mockingly, giving him a furious glare. 

"So, how is Himura Battousai taking this?" Kamatari asked Soujirou. 

"Taking what?" 

"You stealing young Kaoru-san away from him. I always assumed that she was his woman." He replied with a sly grin on his face. "But I don't blame you Kaoru-san, Sou-chan is much better looking." 

At this, Soujirou's eyes popped out of his head and Kaoru started coughing violently. "Ah, it's not like that at all, Kamatari! Kaoru is my sister." 

"Oh Sou-chan, I didn't know you had a sister! And you never told me after all the years we've known each other? I thought we were friends." He whined, faking a hurt expression. 

"Sorry Kamatari, but I didn't even know until just recently." 

Kamatari's expression changed instantly, and he eyed them both. "Ah, now that you mention it, you do look a little bit similar." 

"Different mothers." Kaoru muttered. 

"Hm, interesting." He said, then smirked at Kaoru. "Too bad you don't share Soujirou's good looks." Kaoru growled menacingly, looking ready to attack. Soujirou, sensing the imminent danger, quickly stepped in front of her. 

"Ah Kamatari, it was really nice getting to see you again, but I think we should head home now. It's getting dark." He said, all the while trying to keep Kaoru at bay. 

"Aww, and I was having so much fun." He whined. "Actually, before you leave, could I talk with you for a minute?" Kamatari asked, then giving Kaoru a pointed look. "Alone, please?" 

Soujirou turned to Kaoru, who was still looking like she wanted to murder the cross-dresser. "Go ahead and start walking home. I'll catch up with you in a couple minutes." He told her. Kaoru hesitated, looking at Kamatari suspiciously. Finally, she did what Soujirou had asked and started walking. 

"Somebody needs to teach that girl manners." Kamatari sighed. 

"What is it that you needed to tell me?" Soujirou asked. 

Kamatari's expression went from playful to serious in an instant. "Someone's looking for you." 

"What? Who?" 

"I don't really know. When I first arrived back in Japan, a man approached me and asked if I knew where you were. Apparently he knew who I was, cause he addressed me by name." 

"Did he say why he was looking for me?" 

"No. When I told him that I didn't know where you were, he just stared at me for a few moments and then walked off." Kamatari looked at Soujirou nervously. "There was something in his eyes that really creeped me out and his aura felt really hostile. Whoever he is, I don't think he wants to meet you for a nice chat." 

Soujirou thought about everything Kamatari was telling him, and he couldn't help but be a bit worried. What did this man want? Was is someone looking for revenge? But then a thought came to him that worried him even more. Would this affect his new family? Another question came to mind. "By the way, how did you know I was here?" 

"I just asked Chou." Kamatari stated simply. 

"Chou? How did he find out?" He asked wearily. Did everyone know where he was? 

"He was here a few weeks ago and saw you in the streets. He would have said something to you, but he was with a group of officers at the time." 

"I see. Is there anything else I should know?" 

"Umm...no. Not that I can remember. Sorry." Kamatari said apologetically. 

"Well, thanks for telling me." 

"Oh, you know I would do anything to protect my favorite little assassin." Kamatari grinned. Then smile fell from his face, and he looked at Soujiro, lines of worry marring his forehead. "Just be careful." He whispered. 

"I will." Soujirou promised, genuinely touched by his concern. Kamatari was the only member of the Juppongatana that had ever openly showed affection for Soujirou. At the time Soujirou had felt uncomfortable by his behavior, as he didn't know how to handle such emotions. But now he knew, and he appreciated it. 

Kamatari gave him another small hug, and with a cheerful smile, turned to walk away. "I'll come back and visit you again sometime." He yelled over his shoulder. Soujirou stared at his retreating form for a few seconds, wondering exactly how Kamatari could change his moods so rapidly. He sighed in exasperation and turned to run in the direction that Kaoru went. 

When Soujirou finally caught up with her, Kaoru gave him a questioning look. "Did that idiot have anything important to say?" 

"No, not really." He answered, wanting desperatly to avoid an explanation. 

Kaoru gave him a skeptic look. "You look worried." She observed. 

"There's nothing to worry about, I promise." He said in the most confident voice he could muster. The logical part of his mind told him that she needed to know, but he really didn't want to cause her unnecessary stress. If anything came up, he would take care of it on his own. "We should probably hurry home. The rest will wonder where we are." And with that, he began to walk faster. 

Kaoru followed him silently, her expression showing that she was far from convinced. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Gomennasai!!! I'm so sorry for taking so long to update! My inspiration train came to a halt after the last chapter and I had no idea what to write, so I put if off for awhile. And about Kamatari, sorry if I didn't get his personality right. It's been awhile since I've seen the Kyoto episodes, and I also had Souma Ayame (from Fruits Basket) in mind when I wrote this. Once again, I'm sorry for keeping you guys waiting. 

~Souken~ 


End file.
